Selected by the National Film Preservation Board for the 1991 National Film Registry.

Widely regarded as one of the most visually inventive silent comedies ever made, SHERLOCK JR. offers fast-paced slapstick as well as a brilliant deconstruction of the filmmaking process. Buster Keaton stars as a movie theatre projectionist who dreams of becoming a super-sleuth and, in one breathtaking sequence, literally steps into the screen to bring his fantasies to life.

Reviews

Even if, like me, you loathe the cliche and the staginess and the plotlessness and the spastic pace of slapstick -- and all those qualities are fully present here -- you can't deny the relentless inventiveness of this film. It's like a notebook of ideas, both technical and dramatic, enough for dozens of films, plopped on to the screen. Personally I'd have enjoyed those ideas more had they been given more space and a more appealing background, but en masse they certainly carry this film.